CSU announces plan to increase graduation rates

California State University announced a long-term graduation initiative aimed at increasing the system’s graduation rates and helping underrepresented students to complete college.

The graduation initiative involves all 23 CSU campuses, and is expected to raise six-year graduation rates by eight percent by 2016, as well as cut in half the existing gap in degree attainment by CSU’s underrepresented students.

Currently, CSU’s overall six-year graduation rate is approximately 46 percent, and the goal of the graduation initiative is to bring it up to approximately 54 percent, which is the top quartile of national averages of similar institutions. Sacramento State’s current six-year graduation rates for the freshmen cohort of 2003 and transfer cohort for 2005 are 43 percent and 60 percent respectively.

Each CSU campus will work on an individual plan with specific measures designed to reach their own graduation goal. Campuses already in the top quartile for graduation rates have committed to increasing an additional six percent, as well as cut in half the gap for underserved students’ degree attainment.

Last semester, University President Alexander Gonzalez convened a group made up of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Strategic Planning Council, UBAC and his cabinet to work on a plan to meet this initiative.

“The broad perspectives and expertise of those who are serving on this group have already helped us generate a lot of good ideas,” he says. “I expect that we will develop a number of changes that will enhance the way we serve students, and this initiative stands to benefit our students for years to come.”